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COPYRIGHT DEPOSrr. 



THE SOUL-WINNER AND SOUL-WINNING 



THE SOUL-WINNER 
AND SOUL- WINNING 



By 
The Rev. JOSEPH W. KEMP 

Author of Outline Studies in the Tabernacle, Outline Studies in the 
Book of Revelation, The Book of Books and its Books; 
Instructor of "The Life of Faith" Bible Corre- 
spondence Courses, London, England 




NEW YORK 
GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY 



<^ 



COPYRIGHT, 1916, BY 
GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY 



JUL -8 1916 

Printed in the United States of America 



)CI.A4;{8G5 3 






CONTENTS 



PAGE 
I 

The Fact of Soul-winning ii 

II 

The Importance of Soul-winning . . .17 

III 
The Winning of the Soul 25 

IV 
" The Soul-winner Himself 33 

V 

The Soul-winner's Qualifications ... 41 

VI 
The Soul-winner's Success S3 

VII 
The Soul-winner's Message 57 

VIII 
The Soul-winner and his Bible .... 63 

IX 

The Soul-winner in the Inquiry Room . . 73 

X 

Special Difficulties and How to Meet Them. 83 

[5] 



FOREWORD 



" T\W]^^ ^^^^ /oi/^c^/^that was Peter's word to the 
^f^ Master, and no finer word can soul-win- 

ners get to-day for the enterprise of saving men is 
an arduous one. The work of soul-winning does 
not get any easier and the work gets none the lighter 
as time bears us onward to our rewards. He who 
thinks soul- winning is child's play had better un- 
deceive himself before entering upon the task, or his 
days of sorrow and disappointment will not be few. 
''As things are," said William Norwell, ''soul-win- 
ning is just about the toughest task to which a man 
can put his hand." It never has been easy and it 
never will be. The work was never more difficult 
than now. The cost is great in travail, in tears, 
and in blood; and our Lord and Master said, 'Tf 
any man will come after me, let him deny himself 
and take up his cross." That is His appeal to the 
heroic in us. Notwithstanding all its difficulties and 
discouragements it is the grandest mission in which 
we can engage. There is no work like it. 

The following studies consist of several lessons 
which were part of the Bible Correspondence Course 
connected with ''The Life of Faith/' and are put 

[7] 



Foreword 



together in the present form in the hope of their 
finding a still further field of usefulness among 
those who are called to ''save some." 

Joseph W. Kemp 
New York City 
The Study 
Calvary Baptist Church 



[8] 



THE FACT OF SOUL -WINNING 



'^We need wisdom beyond our own to win the 
souls of men, and the power also that is of God, . . . 
We cannot all he evangelists, but we may all be soul- 
winners. Try it! There is no work so effective, no 
work so romantic, no work so enduring, no work 
so glorious. For myself I covet above all gifts the 
power of wisdom to win souls for my Lord." — 
S. Chadwick. 



THE FACT OF SOUL^WINNING 

AS a preliminary to our study the following 
Scriptures should be carefully and prayer- 
fully read over: — Prov. xi. 30; Dan. ii. 3; James 
V. 19, 20; I Cor. ix. 22; Rom. x. i; Matt. iv. 19; 
Acts xvi. 27-34; 2 Tim. ii. 15; iv. 5-8. 

The reader is urged to earnest prayer that he may 
be led to experience the joy of soul-winning, if that 
has not been his already. After all, soul-winning 
can only be learned in the doing of it; but greater 
efficiency may be attained in what Thomas Boston 
used to call ''the art of man-fishing," by having 
regard to the following suggestions. 

Soul-winning ought to be the main business of 
the Christian. The late Dr. Nettleton, a famous 
American evangelist, one time put to himself the 
question, "What shall I wish I had done thousands 
of years hence?" His answer to that question 
resulted in his devoting himself throughout life to 
the work of seeking to win souls. 



The Soul-Winner and Soul-Winm 



ng 



Let the reader put the question to himself in a 
sHghtly modified form, ''How can I best lay out 
my life for God and my own generation?" Such 
personal inquiry might issue in a solemn dedication 
of one's powers to this work as the leading aim 
in life. 

Soul-winning should be the vocation of the child 
of God and the persistent aim and purpose of all 
his endeavours, for three reasons : — 

I. By IT HE DOES MOST FOR HIMSELF. His OWn 

spiritual life is enriched beyond all thought, and 
into it is brought a joy unspeakable. "Even if I 
were utterly selfish," said Spurgeon, ''and had no 
care for anything but my own happiness, I would 
choose, if I might, under God, to be a soul-winner; 
for never did I know perfect, overflowing, unutter- 
able happiness of the purest and most ennobling 
order till I first heard of one who had sought and 
found the Saviour through my means. No young 
mother ever rejoiced so much over her first-born 
child; no w^arrior was so exultant over a hard-won 
victory." Our joy will be, as we look back from 
the Eternal City, that our feet were made glorious 
by carrying the Gospel of Peace. 

2. By it HE DOES MOST FOR THE WORLD. The 

social reformers, legislators, and philanthropists 
may do much to better the condition of the world, 
but for permanent work the soul-winner stands first. 
He enters a region wherein the mere reformer is 

[12] 



The Fact of Soul -Winning 

completely baffled. The best illustrations of this 
aspect of the work may be found by reading: — 

Down in Water Street, by S. H. Hadley. 

S, H. Hadley, by J. Wilbur Chapman. 

Twice-born Men, or Broken Earthenware, by 
Harold Begbie. 

What Christ is Doing for Drunkards, by W. 
Shorey. 

Let no one say the Gospel has failed while such 
testimonies are on record. When I am inclined to 
brood over imaginary failure, I strengthen my heart 
and hand by a reading of these and similar books, 
and then go on afresh. 

3. By it he does most for the Church. — Not 
by donating money or contributing to theological 
literature, but by winning souls, do we enrich the 
Church. Dr. Evans points out in his book on Per- 
sonal Soul-winning that if every church-member 
would win just one soul to Christ in a year, the 
Kingdom of Christ would be increased by 1,600,000 
members. There is no other way by which the 
Church can be so enriched. 

Now, for these reasons, and many others as 
cogent, let us ask ourselves : "What ought I to live 
for? What am I living for ?" 



[13] 



II 

THE IMPORTANCE OF 
SOUL -WINNING 



''The consecration of the man who makes no 
effort for the salvation of the lost is spurious, and 
his joy and peace, if he have any at all, cannot be 
other than ephemeral. Within the heart of the truly 
consecrated believer there springs up a strong pas- 
sion for the salvation of souls, . . . How Christ- 
like a desire this is! It is the result of sympathy 
with the Lord Jesus in His work, an effect of fellow- 
ship with Him who came to seek and to save the 
lost. But Christlike, nobly, holy though the desire 
is, it is not one which fulfils itself. The wish to 
win souls will not make us soul-winners. No 
amount of earnestness, no amount of experience, no 
amount of perseverance is a guarantee of success in 
this work. For the work of soul-winning we need 
the gift of the Holy Ghost/' 

— George H. C. M'Gregor. 



II 



THE IMPORTANCE OF SOUL-WINNING 

WE may judge of the importance of this work 
by remembering: — 

1. The place which soul-saving has in the 
MIND of God. — The whole machinery of redemp- 
tion was set in motion in order to accomphsh it. 

(a) His Name indicates it. — Seven times in the 
Old Testament it is said that God is the Saviour 
of His people (Ps. cvi. 21 ; Isa. xhii. 3; xlv. 15, 21 ; 
xlix. 26; Ix. 16; Ixiii. 8). The same name is applied 
to God in the New Testament (Luke i. 47; i Tim. 
1. i; iv. 10; Tit. i. 3; ii. 10; Jude 25). 

(&) He expressly desires it (Ezek. xxxiii. 11). — 
The whole of this chapter should be read and care- 
fully and prayerfully pondered over. See also 
Ezek. xviii. 23, 32; Hos. xi. 8; i Tim. ii. 4; 
2 Pet. iii. 9. 

(c) He sent Christ to accomplish it (i John iv. 
14; Gal. iv. 4; Acts iii. 26; John iii. 16). 

2. The place it has in the mind, life, and 
WORK OF Christ. 

[17] 



The Soul -Winner and Soul-Winning 

(a) His Name Jesus indicates it (Matt. i. 21). 
— Further, the name Saviour is given to our Lord 
throughout the New Testament (Luke ii. 11; John 
iv. 42; Acts V. 31; xiii. 23; Phil. iii. 20; 2 Tim. 
i. 10; Tit. i. 4; ii. 13; iii. 6; 2 Pet. i. 11; ii. 20; 
iii. 2, 18; I John iv. 14). 

(&) His earthly ministry emphasises it, — Luke 
xix. 10 indicates His mission was to "save the lost." 
Compare also John iii. 17; v. 34; x. 9; xii. 47. In 
performing His miracles *'our Lord's chief gift," 
as Dr. Maclaren puts it, is the ''forgiveness of sins" 
(Matt. ix. 2; Luke v. 20; vii. 47). 

(c) It is the general tone and tendency of all His 
words. — Dr. A. T. Pierson says: ''The conception 
of the believer as a herald, a witness, a winner of 
souls runs like a golden thread through His dis- 
courses, and even His parables and miracles. He 
does, indeed, say to a representative disciple, 'Go 
thou and preach the Kingdom of God'; He does 
enjoin, 'Go out quickly into the streets and lanes, 
highways and hedges, and compel them to come 
in' ; but the command is one which is incarnated in 
His whole life, and is suggested or implied in the 
very idea of discipleship : 'Follow Me, and I will 
make you fishers of men.' " 

{d) His death upon the Cross accomplishes it 
(John xii. 32; Luke xxiii. 32-43; Tit. ii 14). 

{e) His Great Commission commands it, — It is 
the work He entrusts to His disciples (Matt, xxviii. 

[18] 



The Importance of Soul -Winning 

19). For **teaGh all nations" the marginal reading 
substitutes ''make disciples" or ''Christians of all 
nations." See also Mark xvi. 15, 16. 

3. The place it has in the Apostolic mind. 
— The early Church proved itself a soul-saving 
organisation. Turn to the following passages: — 
Acts li. 41 ; iv. 4; V. 14; vi. 7; xii. 24; xix. 18, 20. 
It was so with Saul of Tarsus, the story of whose 
conversion is thrice repeated in the Acts. See chaps, 
ix. 1-20; xxii. 1-16; xxvi. 9-23. As soon as he him- 
self was brought to the truth he set about winning 
others, and the passion for their souls never left 
him. See Rom. ix. 1-3, which, as Dr. Campbell 
Morgan says, "is the daring of a great soul who 
longs for others." Compare Rom. x. i. 

4. The place it has occupied in the Church 
IN ALL AGES. — Exccpt whcu shc has been weakened 
and demoralised by false teaching, this has ever 
been her mission, and even in dark days, "as though 
God would rebuke the Church, He has raised up 
great and noble souls" to carry out His purposes in 
the salvation of men. 

5. The place it has had in the lives of the 

BRIGHTEST SPIRITS IN THE ChURCH. 

"To neglect souls is treachery to our trust and 
treason to our Lord. No wonder Evangelical 
soundness is lost when the Church shuts her ears 
to the cry of perishing millions and to the trumpet 
call of her Divine Captain." 

[19] 



The Soul -Winner and Soul-Winning 

"Practical indifference as to the peril of lost souls 
is eating like dry-rot at the very foundation of 
evangelistic effort." 

*'To save others is so grand a work and so 
magnificent a result that for its sake one might 
well consent not to save himself." — A, T. Pier- 
son. 

The sainted Baxter's one regret at the close of 
his life was couched in these words: ''I remember 
no one sin that my conscience doth so much accuse 
and judge me for as for doing so little for the 
saving of men's souls, and for dealing no more 
fervently and earnestly with them for their con- 
version." 

When Dr. Lyman Beecher was on his dying bed, 
a ministerial brother said to him : ''Dr. Beecher, you 
know a great deal; tell us what is the greatest of 
all things." He replied, 'It is not theology; it is 
not controversy; it is to save souls." 

"I cared not where or how I lived, or what hard- 
ships I went through, so that I could but gain souls 
for Christ." — Brainerd, 

"Of all the sacrifices there is none in the sight 
of the Almighty God equal to zeal for souls." — 
Gregory, 

The late Professor Smeaton, of Edinburgh, used 
to say to his students: "Gentlemen, reckon your 
ministry a failure unless souls are converted to 
Christ." 

[20] 



The Importance of Soul -Winning 

With such testimony as to the importance and 
urgency of this truly Divine work, shall we not be 
encouraged to give ourselves over to Him that He 
might through us by all means ''save some" ? 



[21] 



Ill 

THE WINNING OF THE SOUL 



''What a noble thing it is to be fishers of men! 
How great an honour shouldst thou esteem it to be 
a catcher of souls! 'We are workers together with 
God' says the Apostle, If God has ever so hon- 
oured thee, oh that thou knewest it, that thou mayest 
bless His Holy Name!'' — Thomas Boston. 



1 



Ill 



THE WINNING OF THE SOUL 

IF the Scripture references previously given were 
not read, this should be done immediately, and 
at least three of them committed to memory — viz., 
Prov. xi. 30, Dan. xii. 3, and Jas. v. 19-20. The 
last-mentioned is a remarkable passage, and though 
familiar, it may be doubted if we have begun to 
grasp its meaning. 

The classic passage bearing on this work is Prov. 
xi. 30, where we read, "He that winneth souls is 
wise." The metaphor is a very striking one, and 
it may be used in a variety of ways. The word 
**win" may have reference to the snaring of birds, 
the captivating of human affections, to making a 
fortune, winning a race, and was commonly used 
among the ancients to signify winning in a wrestling 
match. It is used also in a bad sense, as when the 
gambler wins his stakes in games of chance. If we 
examine three of these, we may be led to a good 
understanding of the "noblest art of all." 

[25] 



The Soul "Winner and Sou I -Winning 

1. The word "win" is used of taking a city. — 
It is a military phrase. In warfare warriors "win" 
towns, cities, and provinces. This is not an easy 
work. It requires wisdom, skill, patience, and endur- 
ance, while at the same time it involves the soldier 
in peril and danger. The wise commander knows 
when to move and when to call a halt, where 
entrenchments should be cast up and batteries 
fixed. 

So he who would capture "Mansoul" must know 
how to advance by little and little — to sap that 
prejudice, to undermine that old enmity, to blow 
into the air that lust, and at the last to storm the 
citadel. It takes no fool to do this, and God's grace 
alone can make us wise for the work. 

2. The word "win" is used in reference to catch- 
ing FISH. — Here the marginal reading comes to our 
aid. There we have the word win translated 
"taketh," which word refers to fishing. In Matt. 
iv. 19 we find that this is the very thing Jesus said 
He would make His followers, "fishers of men." 
Now, what underlies the figure? 

(a) Fishing is an arduous undertaking, — It is 
not at all a fireside occupation. Out the fisherman 
must go in all weathers, calm or rough. If we are 
only going to attempt to win souls when things 
are propitious, we shall not be; worth much in our 
Lord's work. 

(&) It is a dangerous calling, — Risks have to be 

[26] 



The Winning of the Soul 

taken. The dangers of the sea faced. Storms and 
boisterous seas have to be encountered. A fisher- 
man never became such with any expectation of 
a Hfe of ease. So the true fisher for souls will not 
mind exposing himself to some little risks in order 
to attain the end he has in view. 

(c) It requires patience and perseverance. — Up 
at daybreak, and oftentimes out all night, persever- 
ingly and without weariness the fisherman pursues 
his calling. Let the soul-winner note this. Too 
many take up this work and do not give to it the 
patient and persevering care it requires. Passages 
in the Word of God associated with another figure 
may well be pondered here: Eccles. xi. 4, 6; Isa. 
xxxii. 20; Gal. vi. 9. 

(flf) It is largely a matter of faith. — The net is 
let down into the sea. The fish are out of sight, 
and frequently the net is drawn to the shore enclos- 
ing nothing more than a mere handful. What a 
work of faith '^man-fishing" is ! Who can tell when 
the soul will be caught ? 

{e) It is attended by success. — He would be a 
poor fisherman who would say, "I am a fisherman, 
but I have never caught any fish." One would 
think he had better try his hand at something else. 
When Jesus says He will make us ''fishers of men" 
He means that we shall really be the means of 
saving some, "for he that never did catch any fish 
is not a fisherman." 

[27] 



The Soul-Winner and Soul-Winning 

The reader is referred to the following books 
for further suggestions: — 

A Soliloquy on the Art of Man-Fishing, by 
Thomas Boston, M.A. Dr. Jowett styles this work, 
''that quaint and spiritually profound and sugges- 
tive book." 

Taking Men Alive, by Rev. C. Gallaudet Trum- 
bull. 

Fishers of Men, by Bishop J. E. Watts-Dit^hfield, 
M. A. 

In The Soul-Winner, by C. H. Spurgeon, there 
is a chapter on 'Tishing for Men," which is full of 
suggestiveness. 

Chapter iv. in Dr. Jowett's The Passion for Souls 
is brimful of good things. 

3. The word ''win" is further used for captivat- 
ing HUMAN AFFECTIONS. — A bridcgroom is said 
to ^'win" his bride, and before the valued heart is 
won there have been many wooing acts and plead- 
ing words. There are sweet and mysterious ways 
by which love wins its object. Perhaps this illustra- 
tion is nearer the mark than the others, for thus 
may souls be "espoused unto Christ." The story 
of Abraham's servant urging Rebekah might fit- 
tingly be read here. See Gen. xxiv. 

These illustrations are helpful in explaining the 
work of the soul- winner. They imply assault and 
conquest, conviction and persuasion, and at the same 
time indicate that no rigid method can be followed. 

[28] 



The Winning of the Soul 

What wins one repels another, for no two souls 
are exactly alike. In this connection let us note the 
difference between "winning" souls and ''saving" 
them. It is not in the power of man to save souls, 
but it is in the power of man to win them. 

Rev. Samuel Chadwick has said: "Soul-winning 
is acknowledged to be as exacting as it is glorious. 
It is a work that makes demands upon brain and 
heart and soul. No work requires such tactful wis- 
dom, diligent labour, and earnest prayer." It is a 
nohle work — the soul- winner need envy no one. It 
is a lasting work — when the trump of the archangel 
shall sound the effect of that work will remain. It 
is a soul-profiting work — it is the secret of all spirit- 
ual success, happiness, and freshness. 



[29] 



IV 
THE SOUL-WINNER HIMSELF 



''We must live Christ if we would successfully 
speak of Christ. We cannot win souls from death 
unless we possess the Christ life power, and we can- 
not he enriched with that power unless we maintain 
faith in Him and fellowship with Him. If we go 
forth in this great work, weeping in tears of sym- 
pathy for souls, and strong in the faith and love of 
Christ, we shall not labour in vain or spend our 
strength for nought/' — John Walcot. 



IV 



THE SOUL-WINNER HIMSELF 

HEAR again the wise man's definition of a 
wise man, "He that winneth souls is wise'' 
(Prov. xi. 30). "Great soul- winners," says Spur- 
geon, "never have been fools. A man whom God 
qualifies to win souls could probably do anything 
else which Providence might allot him." Many rules 
have been laid down for soul-winners, but, apart 
from the Divine wisdom, they are but so many dead 
letters. 

My old tutor used to say : "While he is wise who 
makes the winning of souls his aim, he is wiser still 
who rehnquishes his own wisdom and seeks wisdom 
from God for the achieving of that aim." See 
I Cor. i. 18-31. 

This wisdom may be had for the asking (Jas. 
1. S). To labour, therefore, without it is foolishness 
indeed. He is wise who seeks the salvation of his 
own soul, and it is a sign of wisdom in one already 
saved to be found seeking to win the souls of others. 

[33] 



The Soul -Winner and Soul-Winning 

He is indeed wise who seeks to be a soul-winner from 
the beginning to the end of his days. 

We note three things in connection with the soul- 
winner : — 

I. His Personality. — It goes without saying 
that the soul- winner must himself have been won, 
and that he is living in vital union with his Lord, 
but beyond that it is of the first consequence that — 

(a) He should be a man of deep spiritual life, — 
This is totally different from all other kinds of life. 
Nine-tenths of men only possess natural, mental, 
and moral life; life which concerns itself with its 
surroundings, thought, right and wrong. Spiritual 
life differs from this in that it is the life of God, 
and the truly spiritual man 'lives and moves and 
has his being in God." 

(&) There must he heavenly character. — Spiritual 
life will, if unhindered, develop into heavenly 
character. It is not what we say, but what w^e are 
which will tell upon others. Our Lord selects holy 
instruments to do His work, for it is inconceivable 
that God will "go to work with instruments which 
would compromise His own character." See Isa. 
Hi. II. 

Gregory said of Basil, "His preaching was like 
thunder because his life was the lightning to it." 
The influence of heavenly character is as powerful 
as ever, and the need for it as clamant. For teaching 
on this important matter study Paul's Epistles, and 

[34] 



The Soul-Winner Himself 

then read, A Holy Life, by Rev. G. H. C. Mac- 
gregor ; and The Spirit- filled Life, by the Rev. John 
M'Neill, of Australia. 

(c) He must be a man of prayer (Isa. Ixii. 6, 
R.V.). — "Successful soul-winning," says Mr. 
Thomas Hogben, the beloved founder of the ''One 
by One Band," ''must have two component parts — 
(i) Going to God for sinners; (2) Going to sinners 
for God." 

It is thus that we are workers together with God. 
The plan, the place, the purpose, the person, the 
time, the method, must all be His, and to know them 
we must wait upon Him. Prayerless methods ac- 
count for most of the failures in Christian work. 
Prayer, like all powers, has its laws, which, when 
obeyed, achieve its purpose. 

There must be — 

(i) Definiteness of aim (Jas. v. 17, 18). 

(2) Spirit-taught desire (Mark xi. 24; Rom. 
viii. 26'2y), 

(3) Inward purity (Ps. Ixvi. 18; i John iii. 
19-22). 

(4) Unwavering faith (Jas. i. 6, 7). 

(5) Appeal in the Name (John xiv. 13, 14; xv. 
16; xvi. 23, 24, 26). 

See further on this outline God's Plan in Soul- 
winning, by Mr. Hogben, chapter vii., on "Prevail- 
ing Prayer." 

The Soul-winner's Secret, chapter iii., by Lieut.- 

[35] 



The Soul -Winner and Soul -Winning 

Col. Brengle, of the Salvation Army. This is one 
of the sixpenny books in the "Red-hot Library." 
Get it, and it will do you good. 

2. His preparation. — No one need expect to 
become proficient in soul-winning who does not take 
time to prepare for the work by a study of the will 
and ways of God, of men, and of methods. Look 
into such passages as i Tim. iv. 13-16; 2 Tim. ii. 15. 

(a) We must company with Jesus. — It has been 
publicly stated of the late Rev. John Jolly, of Edin- 
burgh, that he was the means of the conversion of 
a relative on the very day of his own conversion. 
This is a very singular case, and would seem to 
indicate that no hard-and-fast rules can be laid 
down; but ordinarily the soul-winner requires 
preparation, and this is implied in our Lord's Word 
in Mark 1. 17: *'Come ye after me, and I will make 
you to become fishers of men." Time spent with 
Him is not lost (Acts iv. 13). 

(&) Study the Word. — To devote our strength 
to the study of His Word will not only form a 
magnificent discipline of the mind, but will lead us 
into the secret of how to get to the soul through 
its various avenues of approach. It is intolerable 
in a soul-winner for him not to know his Book. 
The soul-winner ought to have his memory stored 
with the great texts of the Bible. If any difficulty 
is found in the task of committing the Word of God 
to memory, invaluable help will be found in How to 

[36] 



The Soul -Winner Himself 

Learn the Bible, by Dr. William Evans. It is pub- 
lished by the Berean Band. 

3. His power. — Primarily this has reference to 
the anointing of the Holy Spirit (Luke xxiv. 49; 
Acts i. 8). Let the Christian worker seek this 
enduement. No real headwork can be made without 
it. For spiritual work we need, above all else, the 
Spirit of God. We should abhor all attempts to do 
the work of God in the energy of the flesh. He is, 
moreover, given as the Spirit of Wisdom (Isa. 
xi. 2; John xiv. 26; xvi. 13; i Cor. xii. 8), and will 
thus enable us to adapt ourselves to the circum- 
stances as they arise. 

Books Recommended 

The Soul-winner, by C. H. Spurgeon. 
Personal Soul-winning, by Rev. W. Evans, D.D. 
The Passion for Men, by Dr. Hallenbeck. 
Set Free to Serve, by Constance Ruspini. 
God's Plan for Soul-winning, and My Witnesses, 
by Thomas Hogben. 



[37] 



THE SOUL-WINNER'S QUALIFI- 
CATIONS 



''I determined that as I loved Christ and as Christ 
loved souls, I would press Christ on the individual 
soul so that none who were in the proper sphere of 
my individual responsibility or influence shoidd lack 
the opportunity of meeting the question whether or 
not they would individually trust and follow Christ, 
The resolve I made was that whenever I was in such 
intimacy with a soul as to he justified in choosing 
my subject of conversation, the theme of themes 
should he prominent hetween us, so that I might 
learn his need, and, if possible, meet it/' 

— H. Clay Trumbull. 



THE SOUL-WINNER'S QUALIFICATIONS 

ALREADY we have noticed that soul-winning 
is no easy child's play, but a work demand- 
ing energy, thought, w^isdom, skill, and the concen- 
tration of all our powers. There is a '^soul-winning 
work'' going on in the Kingdom of Evil which is 
demoralising and destructive. It is to be seen in 
those who employ their gifts to allure from every- 
thing good to everything bad. This deadly work 
is always active around us, and shows us the charac- 
ter of man in its basest form. 

Our work is the winning of the soul to Christ, 
and everything that falls short of this, while good 
in itself, is insufficient. The soul is not won until 
the will, affections, understanding, and conscience 
are brought into subjection to Christ. Well may we 
ask, "Who is sufficient for these things?" 

If left to our own resources, we must assuredly 
fail; our comfort is that all needed fitness for the 
task can be had by placing ourselves in the hands 

[41] 



The Soul -Winner and Soul-Winning 

of the great Master Soul-winner. I quote from 
a very dear friend, who a few years ago went to 
his rest and reward after a Hfe devoted to soul- 
winning. "To attempt and to accomplish this work 
are some of the highest exercises in which the true 
Christian can engage, and those by which he may 
obtain the noblest prize Christ can receive as the 
reward of His agony and death. 

"This work is a great ideal, one that benefits the 
soul which cherishes it. It is an exalted privilege, 
one towards the enjoyment of which our purest 
desires impel us. May we not also say it is a Divine 
art, for it must be pursued with plan and purpose, 
and to it must be devoted the accumulating fruits 
of experience; only by such means can we make 
progress and become efficient in this work. 

"There are Divine laws relating to the prize to 
be gained, and to the means of gaining it, which 
require to be known and obeyed; and that these 
laws are known and obeyed by the soul-winner 
seems to be implied in the words of Scripture, *He 
that winneth souls is wise.' " Such are the words 
of a mature saint. 

I. He must possess a deep love for the souls 
OF MEN (Phil. i. 8; Rom. x. i). — A picture of the 
late General Booth affixed to the side of a Salvation 
Army building had beneath it the words, "General 
Booth is a lover of souls; are you?'' How do we 
answer that challenge? If we have not this love, 

[42] 



The Soul -Winner s Qualifications 

our labours will be mechanical and powerless. Even 
faith, which can remove mountains, is as nothing 
without it. 

To be unloving will cause the Lord to withhold 
His help, while at the same time it arouses enmity 
and opposition on the part of those whom the 
worker seeks to win. Spurgeon used to say to 
Christian workers, "You ought to have a great big 
heart, like the harbour at Portsmouth or Plymouth, 
for men succeed in winning souls for Christ just 
in proportion as they are men with big hearts." 
Such love will make this work take priority over all 
else. 

When Sydney Watson was led to the Lord by 
John Martin, sailmaker, of H.M.S. Zealous, John 
had not been on the ship ten minutes, yet, in his own 
simple, expressive fashion, he said, "I have got to 
see the fust lef tenant, get my orders from my bosun, 
change my clothes, pick up my mess, take over my 
stores, etc., etc., but your soul's salvation, Sydney 
Watson, is of more consequence than all else." 
That is the principle of a true soul-winner. Here 
a reading of i Cor. xiii, will prove an excellent 
tonic. 

2. An overwhelming passion for the 
scull's salvation. — For illustrations of this pas- 
sion see — Our Lord, "And when He was come 
near. He beheld the city, and wept over it" (Luke 
xix. 41). 

[43] 



The Soul-Winner and Soul-Winning 

Jeremiah, ''Oh that my head were waters, and 
mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep 
day and night for the slain of the daughter of my 
people" (Jer. ix. i). 

Paul, "I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my 
conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy 
Ghost. That I have great heaviness and continual 
sorrow in my heart. For I could wish that myself 
were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my 
kinsmen according to the flesh" (Rom. ix. 1-3). 

The same fervour, zeal and burning desire were 
displayed by Knox, who prayed in his garden at 
night- fall, **0 God, give me Scotland or I die"; 
and in his son-in-law, John Welch of Ayr, who 
would rise out of bed in the night-time and, wrap- 
ping his plaid around him, would spend hours in 
an agony of prayer; notwithstanding the wintry 
nights, the perspiration stood on him like beads. 
When urged by his wife to return to bed, he would 
say, "O, woman, how can I when there are souls 
to save?" 

It is said that Whitefield scarcely ever preached 
without weeping, so heavily did souls press upon 
his heart. Brainerd, M'Cheyne, Henry Martyn, the 
Bonars, Moody, and Spurgeon are in the same class. 
All our Bible study, praying, and Christian fellow- 
ship should issue in a passionate desire to gain souls 
for Christ. It is the practical test to which we sub- 
ject all our spiritual experiences. 

[44] 



The Soul -Winner s ^salifications 

Oh for a passionate passion for souls ! 

Oh for a pity that yearns ! 
Oh for a love that loves unto death! 

Oh for a fire that burns! 
Oh for a prayer power that prevails, 

That pours itself out for the lost, 
Victorious prayer in the Conqueror's name. 

Oh for a Pentecost! 

How true it is that we too often fail because we 
do not feel ! Shall we ever do much for men unless 
our hearts bleed for them ? 

Tholuck, the great theologian, says, "From the 
age of seventeen, I have always asked myself, 
*What is the chief end of man's Hfe?' I could never 
persuade myself that the acquisition of knowledge 
was this end. Just then God brought me into con- 
tact with a venerable saint who lived in fellowship 
with Christ, and from that time I have had but 
one passion, and this is Christ, and Christ alone. 
Every one out of Christ I look upon as a fortress 
that I must storm and win. 

"I was in my eighteenth year when the Lord 
gave me my first convert. He was an artillery 
officer, a Jew, a wild creature without rest ; but soon 
he became such a true follower of Christ that he 
put me to shame. And when I look back upon the 
thousands of youths whose hearts have opened 
under my influence I can only say, 'The Lord hath 
done it.' In working to save souls my life has been 
one of joy rather than toil." 

[45] 



The Soul-Winner and Soul-Winning 

3. A GENUINE SENSE OF THE REALITY OF CON- 
VERSION. — This includes : — 

(a) A deep and heart-felt conviction of the souVs 
worth (Matt.xvi. 26), — The outcome of Sir William 
Hamilton's philosophy was, "There is nothing great 
on earth but man, and nothing great in man but his 
soul," and the man with an enlightened eye can see 
in the soul something of intrinsic value. Man's esti- 
mate of the soul is so trivial, and yet its worth far 
exceeds the world's wealth. 

(b) A recognition that there is something to be 
saved from, — The man to win souls will have a 
true appreciation of the sin out of which souls are 
to be saved. Sin will appear exceedingly sinful, and 
will no longer be regarded as a mere lapse or an 
infirmity; consequently the winner of souls will have 
a thorough sense of the danger to which the soul is 
exposed. 

Souls are lost, and if unsaved will perish. The 
future for such is too awful to contemplate. On 
this subject we are shut up to the grave and solemn 
teaching of our Lord. He has described the future 
condition of the lost in language most unmistakable. 
See Matt. xiii. 41-43, 49, 50, 51 ; xxv. 30-46. 

The words indicate a separation which is 
thorough, impartial, and final, and the figures used 
denote the deepest depths of infamy and the utmost 
degree of suffering. It was just this conviction 
that led George Whitefield, that mighty pleader with 

[46] 



The Soul -Winner s ^ualijicattons 

souls, with uplifted hands and tears streaming down 
his face, to cry to his hearers, **Oh the wrath to 
come, the wrath to come !" 

Here, surely, are weighty arguments for soul- 
winning efforts. 

4. The soul-winner requires tact in his 
WORK. — The Standard Dictionary gives as the 
meaning of the word ''tact," "A quick or intuitive 
appreciation of what is fit, proper, or right; fine or 
ready mental discernment shown in saying or doing 
the proper thing, or especially in avoiding what 
would offend or disturb; skill or faculty in dealing 
with men or emergencies." Now, it is just this 
faculty of discernment which the soul-winner needs. 

It finds illustration in the biography of Sir George 
Williams, the founder of the Y. M. C. A. When a 
young man, he was much used of God in the Lon- 
don warehouse where he was employed. A scoffer 
named Roger was in the habit of pouncing on con- 
verts with the threat that he would soon ''take that 
nonsense out of them." 

Most of an evening was spent by the young men 
in prayer and conference as to what should be done 
to win the opposer to Christ. Finally, George 
Williams asked, "Can anyone tell me of anything 
he is specially fond of?" One said, "He has a 
passion for oysters." "Then let's give him an oyster 
supper," said Williams. Roger was "casually in- 
formed" that the Christian young men were having 

[47] 



The Soul -Winner and Soul-Winning 

an oyster supper, and they would be pleased if he 
would join them. 

It was decided that there was to be no "button- 
holing" that night. In a spirit of bravado, he ac- 
cepted the invitation, and discovered that the Chris- 
tians were not so black as they were painted. In 
return for their hospitality he attended a prayer- 
meeting and was "soundly converted" to God. 

The method of approach disarmed prejudice, and 
gave an opening for the delivery of the message. 
It is in reality a study in the law of adaptation; not 
to study the fitness of times, occasions, places, 
ways and means, and a man's make-up is almost 
sure to lead to failure. 

The Apostle Paul well understood the power of 
tact, and, therefore, adapted himself to the needs 
of those he would win to Christ (i Cor. ix. 20). 
Souls are to be won by suitable instruments. How 
delicately some people go to work when the thing 
needed is not daintiness, but dynamite, and, on the 
other hand, some are violent when it is not force, 
but gentleness, that is needed. Let us take four 
illustrations from the New Testament. 

(a) The first is the case of Saul of Tarsus, He 
is determined, resolute, and self-righteous. The 
appeal is made to his will. Hence, when he is awak- 
ened, he says, "Lord, what wilt Thou have me to 
do?" (Actsix. 6). 

(fc) The case of the Ethiopian eunuch is differ- 

[48] 



The Soul -Winner s Qualifications 

ent, for Philip approaches the soul through the un- 
derstanding (Acts viii. 30). 

(c) Lydia, again, is dealt with in a way which 
would, in all probability, never have moved either 
Saul or the eunuch. The affections in her case were 
to be won, and so we read, "whose heart the Lord 
opened'' (Acts xvi. 14). 

(d) The jailer at Philip pi, on the other hand, is 
startled into conviction and repentance, for amid 
tottering walls and a cracking earth, he cries out 
of a convicted conscience, "Sirs, what must I do to 
be saved?'' (Acts xvi. 30, 31). 

What deplorable results might have followed, 
humanly speaking, if the methods adopted in the 
case of the Philippian jailer had been tried on Lydia. 
Why, she would probably have died of shock instead 
of being saved! Neither could we imagine the 
jailer ever yielding to the appeal of the Word in 
the way Lydia responded. It is just here where 
the grace of "tact" comes in. If we do not possess 
it, let us put ourselves into God's hands, praying for 
the soul-winner's "sense" (Phil. i. 9, marginal read- 
ing). 

See the chapter on "Tact" in Methods in Soul- 
winning, by Henry C. Mabie, D.D., a book which 
the late Dr. A. T. Pierson regarded "as the best on 
soul-winning in the English tongue . . . for wis- 
dom, tact, insight, and general qualities this book 
has no rival." 

[493 



The Soul -Winner and Soul -Winning 

Also chapter li., "Tact and Contact/' in Personal 
Soul-winning, by Rev. W. Evans, D.D. 

The "cost" of being a soul-winner is pointed out 
in The Soul-winner, by C. H. Spurgeon. 

For a full treatment of the qualifications of the 
soul-winner, the reader should consult this book by 
Spurgeon. Chapters ii. and iii. are devoted to the 
Godward and Manward qualifications. The outline 
of the two chapters is given here in tabular form : — 

QUALIFICATIONS FOR SOUL-WINNING 
By C. H. Spurgeon 



Godward 
Holiness of character. 
Spiritual life. 
Humility. 
Living faith. 
Earnestness. 
Simplicity of heart. 
Complete surrender. 



Manward 
Knowledge. 
Sincerity. 

Evident earnestness. 
Love. 

Unselfishness. 
Seriousness. 
Tenderness. 



[50] 



VI 



THE SOUL-WINNER'S SUCCESS 



''A great many agencies are used in the conver- 
sion of a soul, and 7nuch humility is needed when 
we speak of our little service, A Puritan writer has 
said: 'God never gives any one man a whole soul/ 
We must he ready to reap the harvest that has been 
sown by others, and to acknowledge their sowing; 
we must be equally ready to sow the seed for others 
to reap. It is a great art to drop a sentence in the 
midst of a conversation and to pass on without wait- 
ing for a response, without demanding an answer, 
or starting a discussion, just simply trusting the 
seed. There is much condensed wisdom in the 
Northern proverb: 'Keep aye stickin' in trees j they 
will grow while you're sleepin'.' The expert in the 
quest of souls will often be content to plant the 
acorn zvithout expecting to see the tree grow." 

W. Y. FULLERTON. 



VI 



THE SOUL-WINNER'S SUCCESS 

I. OUCCESS MAY BE REASONABLY EXPECTED. 

C3 There are some who contend that it is not 
the soul-winner's business to look for success, but 
that he must faithfully labour and be content to 
leave results with God. Now, while it is true that 
he calls us to be "faithful" (see Matt. xxiv. 45; 
Luke xvi. 10; i Cor. iv. 2; Rev. ii. 10), and that His 
"well done" is for the faithful performance of God- 
given duties (Matt. xxv. 21, 23), it would be a 
strange thing if He called us to sow seed and for- 
bade us looking for harvest, or to go fishing and 
expect no catch. 

It has been put forth by some that the Lord Jesus 
Himself was not a successful soul-winner, but the 
following passages prove otherwise: — Matt. iv. 
18-22; ix. 10-13; Luke iv. 43; vii. 36-50; xiii. 34; 
XV. 1-32; xix. i-io, 41, 42; John i. 35-51 ; iii. 1-21 ; 
iv. 3-42; vii. 37; ix. 35-38; Acts i. 15. 

2. Success is promised (Ps. cxxvi. 6), and if 

[53] 



The Soul-Winner and Soul-Winning 

the Bible gave us no other promise this one would 
be enough, but see Dan. xii. 3 ; Jas. v. 19, 20. Where 
souls are not being won the reason would appear 
to be somewhere in ourselves, or in our teaching, 
or in our circumstances, for He wills that we should 
be able to say, "Behold I and the children which 
God hath given me" (Heb. ii. 13). 

While not fretting at the lack of success, it 
is a good thing to feel dissatisfied if we do not 
attain it. 

Books which Help to Equip 

Spencer's Pastor's Sketches is an old book, of 
which many workers have proved the value. It is 
a rare work on dealing with individual cases, and 
full of suggestions. 

Individual Work for Individuals, by H. Clay 
Trumbull. 



[54] 



VII 
THE SOUL -WINNER'S MESSAGE 



''Men must he drawn not to us hut to the Christ, 
and to us only that through us they may he drawn to 
Christ. Those attractions only are legitimate in the 
preacher that make the Cross attractive and effec- 
tive. Let us have the Gospel unmixed with human 
philosophy, poetry, rhetoric and apologetics. 
'I preached philosophy and men applauded, 
I preached Christ and men repented!' '' 

A. T. PlERSON. 



VII 



THE SOUL-WINNER'S MESSAGE 

MR. FRANK T. BULLEN, known, perhaps, 
best to many as the author of With Christ 
at Sea, was asked on one occasion to what source 
he owed his power of writing. Mr. Bullen replied : 
"The source of my style is the Bible. I began read- 
ing that earlier than I can remember. I am forty- 
three years of age, fifteen years of which I spent 
at sea, climbing up from cabin boy to chief mate, 
and I have read the Bible through from cover to 
cover twenty-five times. 

"You cannot quote me the first half of any verse 
but what I will be able to give you the second half. 
Nothing has taken hold of my heart and soul like 
the Bible. I used to preach in the open air, and 
sometimes, when I fe;lt I had no words of my own, 
I would recite a whole chapter by memory from 
Isaiah, or Job, or one of the Gospels. The Bible 
and John Bunyan have really formed my style.'' 

[57] 



The Soul 'Winner and Soul-Winning 

Surely soul-winners ought not to be behind our 
literary experts in their knowledge of the Bible. 

The work to which we are called is that of leading 
men to Christ by the presentation of the message 
of the Gospel, and whether that message be given 
to an individual or to a company, it must be full 
of Christ from the beginning to the end. 

1. It IS THE MESSAGE OF RECONCILIATION (2 Cor. 

V. 1 8, 19). — God's great purpose and plan are that 
men should be brought into living union with Him- 
self through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, 
and if that is not done, we may reckon that our most 
earnest efforts will be branded with failure. 

2. From this merges another truth, and that is 

THE OLD-FASHIONED DOCTRINE OF MAN's RUIN 

THROUGH siN^ uot in the least fashionable to-day; 
but, if we are to touch human life, it will require to 
be revived. Without it we may be sentimental and 
speculative, but we shall not touch the evil that lies 
around us. 

3. Here follows the offer of Christ as pre- 
sented TO us IN THE Gospel. — That is the message 
at times known as *'glad tidings of joy" (Luke i. 
19), *'the Gospel of God'' (Rom. i. i), **the Gospel 
of the grace of God" (Acts xx. 24), and this Gospel 
is *'the power of God unto salvation" (Rom. i. 16). 
It is not likely that the message, when faithfully 
told, will in every instance be acceptable. It will 
in some provoke opposition, in others controversy, 

[58] 



The S oul- Winner s Message 

and, again, antagonism. These varied attitudes of 
soul have to be met, and the v^ise worker will be 
much in prayer that he may know how to gain the 
object of his quest. 



[59] 



VIII 

THE SOUL-WINNER AND 
HIS BIBLE 



'7 will say, he who really wins souls for Jesus, 
however he wins them, is a wise man, 'He that 
winneth souls is wise/ I do not ask you how he did 
it. He sang the Gospel, and you did not like it; but 
if he won souls, he was wise. Soul-winners have all 
their own ways; and if they do but win souls they 
are wise/' — C. H. Spurgeon. 



VIII 



THE SOUL-WINNER AND HIS BIBLE 

DR. GEORGE WILSON, of St. Michael's, 
Edinburgh, speaking some time ago to a 
company of Christian workers, said: "The Bible 
is being crowded out nowadays, but if we are going 
to help God to redeem the world without that Word 
of His, and without Christ as He is offered in it, 
we will fail. The use of the Bible as keyed in the 
Person of Christ, that is what we want." 

A knowledge of the Word of God is of para- 
mount importance in the work of soul- winning, but 
this knowledge cannot come without painstaking 
study. That study need not necessarily be critical, 
although in handling the Word of God for purposes 
of soul-winning it is well to have some knowledge 
of the interpretation of the Bible, for such study 
will give an intellectual grip upon the great founda- 
tion truths of the Book. 

A general knowledge of the Word is, however, 
necessary. Other information may be valuable, and 

[63] 



The Soul -Winner and Soul-Winning 

can be used with good effect, but a knowledge of 
the Bible is of prime importance. Alas! many in- 
telligent Christians have very little understanding 
of the general idea, purpose, and arrangement of the 
Books of the Bible. To know how to use the Bible 
is imperative if success in soul-winning is to be 
attained. 

1. In the work of winning souls the Scriptures 
MUST BE PRESENTED TO THE SOUL. — M'Cheyue was 
wont to say, "It is not our comment on the Word 
that saves, but the Word itself.'' When PhiHp 
sought out Nathanael he said, "'We have found Him 
of whom Moses in the Law and the Prophets did 
write" (John i. 43, 45). Probably the great ma- 
jority of unconverted people never read their Bibles 
at all, or at best as a part of literature which cannot 
be ignored, and it is therefore necessary to present 
the Word in all its dignity and power to the soul. 

2. The Soul-winner must know how to find 
Christ in the Scriptures (Acts viii. 30-40). — 
When Philip \^ ordered to join himself to the 
Ethiopian's chariot he found there a man engaged 
with the prophecy of Isaiah, but without some guide 
he knew not what he was reading. Philip at once 
proceeded to expound the fifty-third chapter of the 
prophecy, and from that Scripture ''preached unto 
him Jesus." This resulted in the Ethiopian's con- 
version. Read the whole story; it is amazingly 
fascinating. 

[64] 



The Soul -Winner and His Bible 

It is the same still. The telling of the simple 
story will save the people. Many have lost faith in it, 
and correspondingly power in soul-winning has gone. 

3. The example and teaching of the 
Apostles urge this. 

(a) As occasion demanded they spake the Word 
of God (Acts iv. 31 ; xvi. 32). 

(&) They went eYerywheve preaching the Word 
(Acts viii. 4, 25; xi. 19; xiii. 5, 49; xiv. 25; xv. 35, 
36; xvi. 6; xvii. 13; xviii. 11). 

(c) It was the Word the people desired (Acts 
xiii. 7, 15,44)- 

(d) It was the Word which was received (Acts 
ii. 41; viii. 14; xi. i; xvii. 11). 

Upon this ''primitive method of evangelism" God 
graciously set His seal, for we are told, "So mightily 
grew the Word of God and prevailed" (Acts xix. 
20). But for the Bible we should have known 
nothing about salvation, hence the necessity for 
making it known if men are to be won to Christ. 

4. The Soul-winner must have a robust faith 
IN the power of the Word to save (Rom. i. 16; 
I Pet. i. 23; John vi. 63; Heb. iv. 12; Jas. i. 18). — 
Once let us have hesitation here, then all is lost. 

''Cling to the living Word, and let the Gospel 
of the martyrs, let the Gospel of the Reformers, 
let the Gospel of the blood-washed multitude before 
the Throne of God, the Gospel of our Lord Jesus 
Christ be your Gospel, and none but that, and it 

[65] 



The Soul "Winner and Soul-Winning 

will save you, and make you the means of saving 
others to the praise of God." 

5. The Soul-winner must harbour no doubts 
AS TO THE Divine authority and inspiration of 
THE Bible. — The student should famiHarise him- 
self with the following passages: 2 Tim. iii. 16; 
Heb. iii. 7; 2 Pet. i. 21. I cannot forbear quoting 
from Henry \^enn, that eminent English Evangeli- 
cal of the eighteenth century, words which, though old, 
have a world of meaning for soul-winners still : — 

*'Once admit the principle that the writers of 
the Bible could make mistakes, and were not, in all 
things, guided by the Spirit, and I know not where 
I am. I see nothing certain, nothing solid, nothing 
trustworthy in the foundations of my faith. A fog 
has descended on the Book of God, and enveloped 
every chapter in uncertainty I W^ho shall decide 
when the writers of Scripture made mistakes, and 
when they did not? How am I to know where 
inspiration ends and where it begins ? What I may 
think inspired another may think uninspired! The 
texts that I rest upon may, possibly, have been put 
in by a slip of the pen! The words and phrases 
that I love to feed on may, possibly, be weak, earthly 
expressions, in writing which the author was left 
to his own private, uninspired mind ! The glory is 
departed from my Bible at this rate ! A cold feeling 
of suspicion and doubt creeps over me as I read it. 
I am almost tempted to lay it down in flat despair. 

[66] 



The Soul -Winner and His Bible 

A partially-inspired Bible is little better than no 
Bible at all. Give me the 'plenary verbal theory,' 
with all its difficulties, rather than this. I accept 
the difficulties of that theory, and humbly wait for 
their solution ; but while I wait I feel I am standing 
on a rock." 

That is a strong position to take up, but it is 
one which God honours to the saving of souls. 

Dr. A. T. Pierson has said, 'The inspiration of 
Holy Scripture is only another phrase to express 
its living quality." The Bible is conceived of as a 
body Divinely inbreathed. It is called '*the living 
oracles" (Acts vii. 38). It is said "to live and 
abide for ever" (i Pet. i. 23), and to note its quali- 
ties as outlined in Heb. iv. 12 will give us to see 
the value of its use in soul-winning work. What 
are these? 

(a) The Word of God is said to be ''quick/' — 
*'Quick" is the old English word for alive; hence 
we read of the "quick and the dead." The Word 
of God is alive. We have to deal with a living 
Book. It possesses an indescribable vitality, which 
breathes, speaks, pleads, and conquers; and its 
vitality is such as it can impart to souls, for it is 
overjBowingly alive. 

(&) It is ''power fur or "active/' Energetic may 
even be a better rendering. — It has often been no- 
ticed when persons are converted that they almost 
always attribute it to some text quoted. Just so, 

[67] 



The Soul -Winner and Soul-Winning 

the Word of God is powerful to such sacred ends. 
There is power in it to meet the sin and death of 
human nature. ''About the Gospel, when spoken 
with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven, there 
is the same omnipotence as there was in the Word 
of God when in the beginning He spoke to the 
primeval darkness, saying, 'Let there be light and 
there was light.' '' 

(c) It is ''sharper than any two-edged sword/' 
— "Cutting'' would be a correct translation. There 
lived many years ago a remarkable man in Bristol, 
whom God greatly used to the salvation of souls. 
He was a member of the notorious "Hell-Fire 
Club," and was in his day a desperate fellow. After 
hearing George Whitefield preach, he stood up at 
the next meeting of his abominable associates, and, 
with wonderful accuracy, practically delivered 
Whitefield's sermon as he had heard it, imitating his 
very tone and manner. In the middle of his ex- 
hortation he came to a sudden pause, sat down 
broken-hearted, and confessed to having become 
saved by the Gospel which he had despised. There 
is no sin-killer like the Word of the Lord (see also 
Eph. vi. 17; Rev. i. 16; ii. 16; xix. 15; Ps. cxlix. 6; 
Isa. xlix. 2). 

{d) A further quality is that it is ''piercing/' 
— In our dealing with men, the difficulty we encoun- 
ter is to get at their hearts, and the only power 
which can spiritually penetrate the heart of the 

[68] 



The Soul -Winner and His Bible 

natural man is the piercing instrument of the Word 
of God (Ps. xlv. 5). We must not be afraid to 
trust the weapon when facing the King's enemies. 

(^) It possesses also a discriminating quality, 
for it ''divides asunder the soul and spirit, and dis- 
cerns the thoughts and intents of the heart/' — Men 
may define the difference between the soul and 
spirit, but the Word of the Lord alone can divide 
them. That separates between the natural and the 
spiritual, the carnal and the divine. 

"The Word of God talks about the dead and the 
living, repentant and impenitent, about the believing 
and the unbelieving, about the called of God and 
those who still lie in the arms of the wicked. It 
separates the precious from the vile.'' 

The Word comes not to flatter or soothe with 
half-truths. 'Tt does not call the flesh spirit," says 
Saphir, '*but condemns it as flesh and enmity against 
God." ''It discerns the thoughts and intents of the 
heart" — that is to say, it lays bare a man's inmost 
secrets. It enters into the motives and springs of 
action, the hidden ambition and self-will, and as a 
judge both unveils and condemns. 

Dr. Torrey has recently written a new book for 
the One by One Band, The Wondrous Joy of Soul- 
Winning, It is the result of Dr. Torrey 's mature 
experience and wide knowledge of human need. It 
will rank as one of the best bits of work Dr. Torrey 
has ever done for the Church. 

[69] 



The Soul -Winner and Soul -Winning 

We may fittingly conclude with what Dr. Torrey 
calls "four things about the Bible that everyone 
should know if he is to be used of God in soul- 
winning'' — 

*Tirst, he should know how to use his Bible so 
as to show others their need of a Saviour. 

''Second, he should know how to use his Bible 
so as to show them that Jesus Christ is just the 
Saviour they need. 

'Third, he should know how to use his Bible so 
as to show them how to make this Saviour their 
own Saviour. 

"Fourth, he should know how to use his Bible 
to meet all the difficulties that stand between the 
inquirer and Jesus Christ." 

Fellow-workers in this glorious work of soul- 
winning, suffer a w^ord of exhortation. Let me 
urge you to take this Word of God, renew your 
faith in its powder to realise the mission on which 
it has been sent. Be a spiritual grenadier, and hurl 
this powerful grenade full at the enemy. Take 
the Sword of the Spirit, and wield it. It is like 
the sword of Goliath, which had been laid up in the 
sanctuary, of which David said, "There is none like 
it; give it me." If the Word of the Lord will not 
pierce, we may be assured our words will not. We 
can point to many vanquished by this true Jeru- 
salem blade, and I desire no other. 

[70] 



IX 

THE SOUL-WINNER IN THE 
INQUIRY ROOM 



''We wish to do our best to help those whom we 
desire to lead into the Kingdom of God, hut there 
is no vade mecum for dealing with souls, for no two 
are alike, and not rules, but suggestions, can be 
given." — J. Stuart Holden. 



IX 



THE SOUL-WINNER IN THE INQUIRY 
ROOM 

IT cannot be too strongly insisted upon that In 
the inquiry room only the most thorough work 
should be done. Souls are there who have reached 
a crisis, and if we fail in that hour to give clear and 
intelligent guidance in the Divine method of salva- 
tion, we may inflict an injury that may never be re- 
paired. The great object of the inquiry meeting is 
to bring anxious ones to decision, and to lead men 
into saving union with Christ. Anything short of 
this must be written off as failure. Whatever defi- 
ciencies the worker may have, he must not lack a 
firm grasp of the great foundation truths of the 
Gospel, or be wanting in his knowledge of the 
difficulties that commonly perplex the awakened 
soul. How little importance is attached to these 
qualifications in certain quarters appears from the 
fact that the most inexperienced are often found 
engaged in the inquiry room, and consequently their 
efforts end in failure, and tend to deepen the gloom 
and anxiety of the inquirers. 

[73] 



The Soul- Winner and Soul-Winning 



The Bible Supreme in the Inquiry Room 

In setting forth the way of life to the anxious, 
the Word of God must take the supreme place. 

I. The importance of it. It cannot be too strongly 
stated that no Christian worker should enter upon 
the task of attempting to point a soul to Christ with- 
out the Bible. Workers failing to conform to this 
rule should be excluded from the inquiry room. 
So important did I\Ir. Moody feel this to be that, if 
he knew it, he sternly refused any man, be he minis- 
ter or layman, to have any part in his inquiry meet- 
ings who was not armed with his Bible. **Never,'' 
he said to a worker whom he had placed over the 
work of the inquiry room, "never let anyone speak 
to an inquirer without using the Bible. Remember, 
this is an absolute command." Coming in one 
night, he saw an evangelical clergyman seeking to 
lead a soul to Christ. He had no Bible, but he was 
quoting texts from his well-stored memory. Mr. 
Moody protested, and when told who the clergyman 
was, quickly replied, 'T don't care if he is the angel 
Gabriel, he cannot speak to an anxious soul in my 
inquiry room without a Bible." After the clergy- 
man had a Bible handed to him, Mr. Moody was 
satisfied. It must be remembered that it is not the 
reception of any particular views of truth, but the 
entrance of God's Word that gives light. 

[74] 



The Soul -Winner in the Inquiry Room 

2. The use of ^^helps/' In the inquiry room it 
is, as Dr. A. C. Nixon suggests, that ''the open 
Bible in face to face work is indispensable." Hand- 
books for soul-winners, marked Testaments, and 
similar ''helps" may be useful in their way, but they 
ought not to be taken into the inquiry room. The 
Christian worker should have sufficient knowledge 
of his Bible as not to require to resort to any of the 
*'plans for soul- winning" so plentiful in these days. 
Even the very admirable "Workers' Testament," 
which quite recently figured so prominently in the 
great missions, would be better studied at home 
than in the inquiry room. Your own Bible — under- 
scored with pencil and marked with penitents' tears, 
if you will — is what should be placed directly before 
the anxious one, and let the inquirer read from it. 

II 

Method of Approach 

Dr. G. Campbell Morgan has divided the work 
of the inquiry room into three parts: Diagnosis, 
Direction, and Demonstration. The three words 
fully cover all that can be said of inquiry room 
work. "It is," says Dr. Morgan, "necessary first of 
all to find out exactly where the inquirer stands and 
what is his difficulty. To take a man into a corner, 
kneel down beside him, open a Bible, point to a 
passage, and say, 'Can you read that ? Do you be- 

[75] 



The Soul -Winner and Soul-Winning 

lieve it? Then you are saved/ is the most perilous 
and blasphemous business. I have more than once 
taken a man by the coat collar and put him out of 
the inquiry room for doing that. 

''Next comes Direction toward a definite initial 
step — that of abandoning the life to Jesus Christ. 
Whatever his difficulty, an inquirer should be shown 
that Christ is not merely a great ideal, but a dyna- 
mic, and at the disposal of every man. Therefore, 
the measure in which the worker is in personal 
living fellowship with Christ is the measure in which 
he will help others to Him. 

''x\t the point of Demonstration the w^orker has 
to stand aside. You are never to tell a man that 
he is saved. The demonstration, as well as the 
power, is of the Spirit of God. The last surrender 
of the soul is to be not to the preacher, but to 
Christ, and the first impression of possession upon 
that soul is to come not by something I say, but by 
Christ's own activity, and we must trust Him for 
that." 

I. Find out where the inquirer is. It is perfectly 
evident that in dealing with inquirers our first care 
must be to find out the real condition of the mind 
and heart; otherwise, how can we apply the Word 
of God with any hope of success? This is what the 
physician calls ''diagnosing his patient, before pre- 
scribing his remedy.'' A few simple questions will 
soon serve to reveal the true state of the inquirer's 

[76] 



The Soul-Winner in the Inquiry Room 

mind. If there is a disposition to cavil, or trifle, or 
raise captious objections, it is well to let the indi- 
vidual know that the inquiry room is for more seri- 
ous business, and then leave him to the solitude of 
his own thoughts. Where there is earnest seeking, 
the next step must be an attempt to discover, with 
all care, tact, and tenderness, what the nature of 
the difficulty is. I suppose a good-size volume could 
be written on the difficulties raised by inquiring 
souls in the after meeting. They may all, however, 
be stated broadly to arise out of two things. First, 
an imperfect and superficial grasp of the great facts 
of the Gospel. Second, the harbouring of some 
doubtful habit or association which keeps the heart 
enchained to its old life. 

2. The art of interrogation. Two or three simple 
questions may be put, which will soon give the 
whereabouts of the inquirer. In the course of 
twenty years' work in soul-winning I have rarely 
found these questions to fail in bringing the soul 
towards decision and go far to remove difficulties. 
As a student I sat at the feet of one who had gained 
a wide experience in this field, and I learned this 
art of interrogation from him. These are the ques- 
tions, or similar ones : — 

''Are yoii willing to he saved f This will usually 
elicit the answer, *'Yes!" Then I proceed: — 

''Are you willing to he saved in God's way and 
on God's terms?'' This question serves to turn at- 

[77^ 



The Soul -Winner and Soul-Winning 

tention from self and all that self can do, and pre- 
pares the way for the presentation of the message 
of life. Then I further press my question: — 

''If I can show you from God's Word what His 
way is and what His terms are, are you willing to 
be saved now? It is then that the great struggle 
begins. The Book is opened, and Rom. iii. 19, 
23 and Gal. iii. 22 are used to deepen convic- 
tion, and bring the soul to see itself before God as it 
really is. If other Scriptures are used, they should 
be such as will lead the inquirer to a clear under- 
standing of his real position before God as utterly 
and hopelessly condemned on the ground of his sin. 
The following Scriptures will be found most help- 
ful in driving home conviction: — Jer. xvii. 9, 
Psa. li. 5, Matt. xv. 19, Rom. v. 12. By this 
the inquirer will see how hopeless, helpless, and 
hateful sin has made him, and, keenly feeling his 
position as a sinner, he will the more readily accept 
the offer of Christ as his Saviour. When the facts 
indicated by these words have been recognised, and 
all hope in self -effort abandoned, the way is open 
for the application of truth which assures forgive- 
ness and salvation. Such passages as Isa. i. 18, Iv. 
1-3, Matt. xi. 28, John vi. 37, Rev. xxii. 17 serve 
to show the freeness of salvation and also the time 
when salvation must be received. In many cases 
it will suffice to set forth Jesus as God's gift, and 
make known the Divine assurance that "whosoever 

[78], 



The Soul' JVinner in the Inquiry Room 

believeth in Him shall not perish, but have eternal 
Hfe" (John iii. 15, Acts xvi. 30, 31). But with 
some it may be necessary to go further, and show 
the substitutionary work of our Lord upon the Cross 
and the atonement He effected (Rom. v. 8; i Pet. 
iii. 18). Only as this is apprehended will the soul 
get a sure foundation for its hopes. It is when the 
soul recognises that "He was wounded for our 
transgressions and bruised for our iniquities" that 
there follows an acceptance of His work as the 
ground of pardon and reconciliation. The inquirer, 
when led to see that the basis of his salvation is 
Christ's work for him, is encouraged, and enabled 
to believe God, and enter at once into life, light, and 
liberty. 

3. The great decision. Here one must be very 
guarded. No matter how anxious we may be for 
the salvation of those to whom we are speaking, 
we should never make decision for the inquirer. 
That is the work of the Spirit Himself. We may 
say, *Teace, peace, when there is no peace," and so 
be guilty of '^healing the hurt of the daughter of 
my people slightly" (Jer. vi. 14). Let there be no 
manifestation of impatience on the part of the 
worker. Hurry and haste must be avoided, or only 
superficial work will be done. H earnest seeking 
souls are loth to leave the inquiry room without the 
assurance they come for, they should be encouraged 
to remain as long as they feel their need of us. 

[79] 



The Soul-Winner and Soul-Winning 

4. Decision cards. These have been copiously 
used in recent missions, and advantage might well 
be taken of them in the ordinary work of our 
Churches. The signing of the name helps to give 
a definiteness to the transaction. In my own work 
use has been made of a four-paged folder with the 
general heading, "Guidance to Grace and Glory." 
This is an adaptation of a similar card used by Dr. 
Torrey during his pastorate in Chicago. The fol- 
lowing is the front page. \Mien signed, the inquirer 
is requested to put it in his Bible, where he can 
daily look on it, and be reminded that he has *'sub- 
scribed with his hand unto the Lord" (Isa. xliv. 5). 

Guidance to Grace and Glory 

HOW TO BEGIN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE 

1. A Frank Acknowledgment of my lost condition by na- 
ture. Isa. liii. 6 ; Rom. iii. 10, 2^ ; Rom. v. 6, 8, 9, 10, 12. 

2. A Firm Belief in the Gospel of God. What is the 
Gospel? I Cor. xv. 1-4: John iii. 16; Isa. liii. y(i\ I Peter ii. 
24; Mark i. 15. 

3. A Full Acceptance of the assurance given in God's Word. 
John V. 24; Acts xiii. 39; i John v. 13. 

I do, here and now, acknowledge my lost condition as 
shown to me in the Word of God. I believe the record "that 
God hath given to me eternal life" (i John v. 11). I receive 
Jesus as my Redeemer (Gal. iii. 13), and as the One who 
alone has power to forgive my sins (Mark ii. 10; Acts v. 31), 
and resting upon God's Word, I believe that I am His child 
(John i. 12) and I will trust Him to keep me from falling. 
I Pet. i. 5; Jude 24. 



Signed 

Date. 



[80] 



X 

SPECIAL DIFFICULTIES AND 
HOW TO MEET THEM 



^'The open Bible in face to face work is indis- 
pensable/' — A. C. Dixon. 



X 



SPECIAL DIFFICULTIES AND HOW TO 
MEET THEM 

It IS our aim in the inquiry room to influence the 
inquirer so as to lead him a wilHng captive to the 
Saviour. Anything in our personal conduct which 
has the tendency to frustrate this purpose must be 
avoided. The mistakes which very many earnest 
Christians commit might be largely avoided with a 
little care and thought. It is not suggested for a 
moment that any worker would willingly assume 
any attitude that would prevent his gaining a soul 
for Christ, and yet it has to be confessed that much 
harm has been done to seekers through the unwise 
acts and attitude of well-meaning workers. 



Things to Guard Against in Inquiry Room 
Work 

I. It is unwise to take any liberties with a person 
in the inquiry room which common courtesy would 

[83] 



The Soul-Winner and Soul -Winning 

forbid in ordinary walks of life. I am thinking now 
of men dealing with men and women with women. 
It is the easiest thing in the world to fall into the 
error of putting the hand on the knee or across the 
shoulders or even around the inquirer. This I have 
seen happen over and over again. It is a liberty 
which would be unthinkable in other circumstances. 
Intelligent persons resent such familiarity, and if 
soul anxiety is none too deep it is just possible that 
such actions may destroy what little there is. 

2. It goes without saying that only on the very 
rarest occasions is it wise for workers to deal with 
those of the opposite sex. In the case of mature 
saints this rule may be somewhat relaxed. One 
could give instances wherein tragic results have fol- 
lowed inquiry room work. I have before my mind 
one who was to all appearances largely used of God, 
especially in dealing with individuals. Satan took 
him off his guard during a successful evangelistic 
campaign, and in a moment of weakness he ruined 
his testimony irrevocably, and is at this hour a 
moral wreck in a distant land. The subject is pain- 
ful, but from one's observation it seems time to 
raise a note of warning. Out of Dr. Torrey's great 
experience he writes : — 'Tt is quite generally agreed 
among those who have had much experience in 
Christian work that, on the whole, women usually 
do the most satisfactory work with women, and 
men with men; especially is this true of the young. 

[84] 



special Difficulties^ How to meet them 

. . . Many exceedingly unfortunate complications 
have arisen in actual life from young men trying 
to lead young women to Christ, and vice versa/' 

3. Discretion would further teach that, unless 
there be clear guidance of the Holy Spirit to the 
contrary, the worker should not choose, or be set 
to deal with, one much ahead of him in years. A 
young man is more likely to win a young man than 
is anyone else, and the same applies to winning 
young women. Elderly people are likely to resent 
the approach of young people. It is well also to 
remember one's station in life, and deal, as far as 
one can discern such to be the case, with those 
similarly situated in life. There are exceptions, as 
2 Kings V. 1-5 shows. There the housemaid won 
her mistress. Lord Shaftesbury was led to Christ 
by his pious old nurse, who, before he was seven 
years old, taught him of Jesus, and at her side he 
learned to pray. "The Evangelist of Parliament 
owed to this evangelist of the nursery the first les- 
sons he learned in the School of Christ." But we 
are dealing with work in the inquiry room, and it 
will be found a good rule to follow if people deal 
with those of their own class. 

4. Except where there is a scarcity of workers, 
never deal with more than one person at a time. 
Experience teaches that the best work is done when 
one is alone with the seeker. There is a greater 
readiness to converse, and there is not the same 

[85] 



The Soul-Winner and Soul -Winning 

hesitancy to come to a decision as the presence of a 
third party creates. It is also true that two workers 
should not speak to the inquirer at once. To do 
so confuses the soul, and prevents clear thinking, 
and, at the same time, it is calculated to arouse 
opposition. Avoid also interrupting anyone else 
w^ho may be dealing with a soul, either by speaking 
or looking on. 

5. Never abandon one case for another. If you 
have been led to a particular individual, see that 
case through before.taking up another. It is a very 
unhealthy sign when workers are caught by the 
craving for numbers. Better deal with one soul 
thoroughly and have the joy of leading that one to 
Christ than scamper over a hundred and not make 
a permanent impression on any. To lead a soul 
so far, and then pass the anxious one on to another, 
is a bad proceeding. Here and there a case with 
special difficulties may crop up where it may be 
necessary to call in the help of a more experienced 
worker, but, speaking generally, ''Land your fish, 
then bait, and look after other lines." 

6. Xever enter into an argument. Few are ever 
won by argument. The man who is in the inquiry 
room to prove this, that, or the other thing is out 
of his place. Unless the questioner is dealing with 
vital issues, it is well to refuse discussion. Never 
allow yourself to be drawn into side-issues. Many 
questions that are asked in the inquiry room are 

[86] 



special Difficulties^ How to meet them 

perfectly legitimate, but out of place. Hold the in- 
quirer to the main thing and assure him that his 
questions will be answered at the proper time and in 
the proper place. 

7. Avoid, save as by way of illustration, telling 
your own experience. However good that may be, 
it is not what you have been sent to tell. You may 
have benefited by it, but it may have the opposite 
effect upon the inquirer, turning his mind from 
Christ to yourself, and leading him to the conclusion 
that he must have a similar experience, instead of 
which he needs the same Christ. Let the Word 
of God do its work. 

8. Let telling the inquirer he is saved be the last 
thing you do. Only the Spirit of God can do that. 
He is the great agent of our salvation, and He will 
witness to the New Birth when that has taken place 
in the soul (Rom. viii. 15. 16). There need be 
no fear that anxious ones will go without assurance, 
for if they have been dealt with in God's way, and 
the work is of Him, He will speak the assuring word 
to them. Present such Scriptures as indicate the 
ground of the hope. 

II 

How TO Meet Various Cases 

For convenience, inquirers may be divided into 
three classes : — 

[87] 



The Soul-Wmner and Soul-Winning 

I. There are those with general difficulties. 
Every Christian worker will come across those who 
present difficulties or offer excuses. Many of the 
difficulties are imaginary, and with the exercise of 
a little patience may be removed. 

Objection: ''We must wait God's time.'' 

Answer: The only time God specifies for the 
salvation of souls is NOW (2 Cor. vi. 21). 

Objection: ''There's time enough yet," 

Answer: "True, there is time, but not an hour to 
delay. Three times in one chapter the Holy Ghost 
says, ^To-day," "To-day," "To-day" (See Heb. iii. 
7, 13, 15). There is time to be saved, but not to 
trifle. 

Objection : "/ am doing the best I can." 

Answer: Is that honest? Is anyone doing the 
best he can (Psa. xiv. 23; liii. 1-3; Rom. iii. 
10-18). 

Objection: "/ am too great a sinner," This is 
a difficulty the worker will often meet with. 

Answer: There are few passages better fitted to 
meet this case than i Tim. i. 15. Other passages 
most useful are Rom. v. 6-8; Matt. ix. 12, 13. 
Never make an inquirer believe he is not a very 
great sinner. It is a grievous error to say, "Peace, 
peace, when there is no peace." Most people are 
far greater sinners than they think. 

Objection: "/ cannot keep it" or "/ cannot hold 
out:' 

[88] 



special Difficulties^ How to meet them 

Answer: Jude 24; i Pet. i. 5; 2 Tim. i. 12; John 
X. 28, 29). 

Objection: ^'There are far too many hypocrites'' 
(probably one of the commonest excuses). 

Answer: It is a good thing to show that the invi- 
tations of the Gospel are not "Come to Christians," 
or ''Believe in the Church." The standard is Christ. 
To Him we come, and He Himself we trust. It is 
well to point out the individual responsibility of each 
man, and Rom. xiv. 12 is most useful for this. Each 
man must give an account of himself, and not of 
inconsistent Christians (Matt. vii. 1-5). 

Objection: '7 have committed the unpardonable 
sin^ and sinned away the day of Grace/' 

Answer: John vi. 37. Emphasise the "no wise." 
Also Rom. X. 13, dwelling upon the "whosoever." 
Point out what the unpardonable sin is (Matt. xii. 
31, 32), viz., the deliberate attributing to the devil 
what is wrought by the Spirit of God, and get the 
anxious one back to John vi. 37 and to 2 Pet. iii. 9. 

2. There are also special cases. We shall always 
have to meet some who "specialise in certain forms 
of sin," such as Atheist, Sceptic, Materialist, etc. 
Experience will greatly help as to the selection of 
appropriate passages. On no account should the 
worker permit himself to be drawn into controversy. 
It is very often a waste of time, and tends not to 
the furtherance of the Gospel. 

To the sceptic who would trifle with truth good 

[89] 



The Soul -Winner and Soul-Winning 

use can be made of i Cor. i. i8; ii. 14; 2 Cor. iv. 
3, 4; 2 Thess. i. 7-9. 

The professed infidel may be met by Psa. xiv. i, 
though great tenderness is required before using this 
passage. Follow this by Rom. i. 19-22; vi. 23; 
then point out the awful folly of rejecting the Son 
of God (Heb. x. 28, 29). 

To those in doubt of future punishment. It can- 
not be too frequently urged not to discuss with un- 
believers the great problems of human destiny until 
the heart and will are surrendered to Christ. Dis- 
cussion is useless. Instance such Scriptures as Rev. 
xxi. 8; xiv. 10, 11 ; Luke xvi. 23, 26. 

]\Iention may be made also of the general teaching 
of our Lord on this subject. The figures He uses 
indicate the deepest depths of infamy and the 
utmost degree of suffering (see ]\Iatt. xxiv. 50, 51 ; 
xxv. 41, etc.). 

3. The Utterly Indifferent. There always has 
been, and probably will be, a large class utterly in- 
different to and careless of spiritual things. There 
is no greater problem before our churches to-day 
than the appalling indifference of the multitudes to 
the things of God. Here is a call to increased 
prayer fulness, for "this kind goeth not out but by 
prayer and fasting'' (Matt. xvii. 21). 

We should not despair of those who seem to be 
careless. Oftentimes indift'erence is only '*skin- 
deep," and the cynical smile on the face frequently 

[90] 



special Difficulties^ How to meet them 

hides a heart full of distress. The cases cited do 
not by any means exhaust the objections which the 
wise worker may be required to meet, but if the 
work is entered upon in dependence on the Holy 
Spirit, He will so lead that contact with souls will 
be for their lasting good. A soul-winner of wide 
experience says on inquiry room work : — 

Go in the spirit of constant prayer. 
Go in the spirit of conscious dependence. 
Go in the spirit of condescending humility. 
Go in the spirit of Christ-like meekness. 
Go in the spirit of Christ-like earnestness. 
Go in the spirit of complacent cheerfulness. 



[91] 



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